Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-03-11

cOuju mol love announcer man-D6 ScClSn6Q,
And quiet all your fears and hearts unrest
For all the time, forever and day
You are the one that love best!"
George W5gnaot Harris.
GOOD STORIES OF THE PRESENT
DAY.
A LUNATIC VISITS THE sCHooLMIsTREss
AND LOCKS THE SCHOOL DOOR.
In the winter of 1915 I was teaching
a country school in Otlo, not far from the
village of Medina. was girl only seven
teen years old, and weighing less than a
hundred pounds, and those who knew me
would have laughed at the idea of my hav
ing any presence of mind in the hour of
danger.
It was a walk of mile to the farmhouse
where I was boarding, and in stormy
weather was conveyed to and fro in the
sleigh. 1t was clearly understood that
should it come on to snow and bluster
during the day the farmer was to come
for me at the close of the school. In Or
binary weather the walk was one to be en-
joYed. Just after noon on the 18th day of
January it began to snow and blow in the
most furious manner, while the tempera-
ture fell 200 inside of two hours. We had
a snug brick schoolhouse, a large pile OF
dry wood, and no one knew how cold it
was until school was dismissed for the
day. Then there were many complaints
from the scholars, but all finally got away
and was left alone to wait for the far
mer's sleigh, which had every reason to
believe would soon be at the door. It was
almost dark at 4 O'Clock. and got my
things on and sat down by the stove and
waited three-quarters of an hour before
beginning to wonder why Farmer W atkins
did not drive up. We had couple OF
lamps, and I lighted one and began work
on an intricate mathematical problem.
Time slipped fast away, and when I got
up it was half-past 5. [ then felt that
some accident had happened my friends
oau OlOy WOOAo 4OO OUAIO 4Oi AAOS anu l. 0O.
cided to foot it home. had not left the
schoolhouse hundred feet behind when [
realized that I must return to it. The
wind was blowing at the rate of fifty miles
an hour and directly in my face, while the
air was so full of snow that one could not
see six feet away. That night the thermo-
meter registered ITO below zero, and much
live stock froZe TO death.
It was bit lonesome when I returned
to the schoolhouse and let myself in and
felt the little structure trembling under
the rising gale, but relighted the lamps,
brought in lot of wood from the store
room, and found enough of my MONDAY
meal left in the basket to take the edge of
my hunger off. had no idea of being OBJ
liged to pass the night there, but confident
~ expected to be called for at any moment.
1t had come to be O'Clock, and I was
getting very nervous, when the outside
door opened and heard step in the hall.
jumped up to close the stove and turn out
the lights, but before had accomplished
the latter object the door to the schoolroom
was opened and in walked total stranger.
He was covered with Snow, and his cap
was drawn down until most of his face
was hidden. He did not seem to even
glance at me, but advanced to the stove,
shook off the snow, pulled off cap and
,vercoat, and then held out his hands to
he warmth. was what you might justly
term dumfounded. There was no fear of
him, but his unexpected advent and the
cool manner in which he acted quite took
my breath away for couple of minutes.
However, I finally found voice to inquire:
''Did Uncle Bill send you for me ?"
He looked me in the eyes for a few sec
onds, and then walked through to the
outer door. locked it, came back to the in
ner door and locked that, and as he slip
ped the keys into his pocket, he said:
This is going to be bitter cold night. y
A falntness came over me as he spoke
and 1 bad to sit down. We were on
opposite sides of the stove, and saw that
be was man of about thirty, medium
height, slight build, and respectable ap-
pearance. There was nothing about him
Of the tramp or tough, and his voice was a
pleasant one. I was certain 1 had never
seen him before, and also felt from the
first that there was something wrong 1u
hjscoming the way he did. A belated Or
storm-bound traveller would have been
full of remarks and questions, and he
would not have locked the door on us. 1
looked him over like one in dream.
felt great faintness and great fear. and
yet could not help but watch him. He
did not return my gaze. Now and then his
eyes met mine. but for the most part he
was looking carelessly around the room or
at the stovepipe. By and by it came to me
that he was an insane man, and for half a
minute shut my eyes and had the hard
est kind of fight to keep from faintlng
away. When 1 opened them he was re-
garding me with leer, and directly he
said:
You think you will run away from
school, but shall have my eyes on you
all the time. School will now begin.''
He went to my desk and rang the hand
bell in vigorous manner, picked up a
ruler and book, and then, standing in
front of the desk, he said to me:
"Class in photography come for ward. {"
While, as told you. 1 was terribly
frightened, had the presence OF mind to
understand that I had lunatic to deal
with. and that he must be humored.-
When he had repeated his command sec.
ond time I went forward to a recitation
bench, and be began giving out words for
me to spell. The ''lesson" was not hall
over when my belief in his insanity was
confirmed. After the first few words he